Tillman done for regular season ... maybe as a Bear

Triceps injury lands veteran cornerback on injured reserve in final year of his contract

November 11, 2013|By Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune reporter

(Chris Sweda/Tribune photo)

Charles Tillman's regular season is finished. A triceps injury in his right arm, suffered Sunday in the second half of the Bears' 21-19 loss to the Lions, will sideline the Pro Bowl cornerback for the rest of 2013.

There's an outside chance Tillman could return for the postseason if the Bears earn a berth and advance to the NFC divisional round. But if they don't, is it possible Sunday marked Tillman's 154th and final game as a Bear?

"Potentially," Tillman said. "Possibly, yeah. But I guess I hadn't really thought about it until you just said it. So thanks for spoiling the mood."

Officially, the Bears placed Tillman on injured reserve with designation to return. That move restricts a player from practicing for the next six weeks with the potential to return to game action after eight weeks. So the earliest Tillman could be cleared to play would be Jan. 6, the Monday after the wild-card round of the playoffs.

But expecting the Bears to advance that far seems less likely now that their top cornerback has become the latest on a long list of key defensive players who have been felled by injuries.

Lance Briggs suffered a small fracture in his left shoulder in Week 7 and his return remains uncertain. Defensive tackles Henry Melton and Nate Collins are on injured reserve with season-ending ACL tears. Middle linebacker D.J. Williams also saw his season end after he tore a pectoral muscle in Week 6.

"It's just one of those seasons, man," Tillman said. "It's the National Football League. I think it happens to (at least one team every year). It just so happens, the injury bug has a hold of our team for some reason."

Tillman said the Bears' diagnosis indicated a tear in his triceps with no surgery needed. But he'll seek a second opinion.

He plans to be aggressive with his rehabilitation but joked that for now, rest will be the priority.

"Sit down. Chill. Let it heal," Tillman said. "Ice and stim. Take a Tylenol. Have a Coke and a smile. Just let it heal."

But now a Bears defense that ranks 26th in the NFL in yardage allowed (379.2 yards per game) will press on without a playmaker who ranks third in franchise history in interceptions (36) and first in defensive touchdowns (nine). Tillman also has a team-best three interceptions this season.

Sixth-year veteran Zack Bowman will replace Tillman in the starting lineup. But …

"There's no way to replicate what Charles can do," Bears coach Marc Trestman said.

As for Tillman's future, he's finishing the final year of his contract and will be eligible to hit free agency in March. Following a season in which his health has been an ongoing concern — before the triceps tear, Tillman had been questionable on the injury report for five games with a knee injury — the Bears will have plenty to assess.

Tillman made it clear Monday he would not consider a shift to safety if asked to do so.

"I think my athleticism is still there to play corner in this league," he said. "Whether it be for the Bears or somebody else."

As for thinking more deeply about the possibility of moving on from an organization he has been a part of since 2003, Tillman hasn't thought that far.

"I'm still under contract currently," Tillman said. "So my whole view and thought process is I'm still a Bear. When I'm no longer a Bear then we can talk about that. But for right now I'm still an employee of this organization."